The Department of War announced Monday that all 30 U.S. research universities ordered to audit their foreign partnerships had addressed the relationships identified by the department, declaring the effort a “30-for-30” success in protecting American research from foreign exploitation.

The review resulted in more than 80 termination-related actions across the universities, according to the department. These included severing ties with organizations on the federal government’s list of foreign entities of concern, as well as precautionary terminations involving other organizations that were not formally listed.

The initiative targeted partnerships that could expose sensitive research, intellectual property or technologies to foreign adversaries. The department’s list of foreign entities of concern is maintained under Section 1286 of the National Defense Authorization Act, with its most recent version published in July.

Seven universities received special recognition for taking additional steps beyond the department’s minimum requirements: Oklahoma State University, Penn State, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the University of South Carolina, the University of Southern California, the University of Texas at Austin and Virginia Tech.

Assistant Secretary of War for Science and Technology Joseph Jewell praised the institutions for quickly ending problematic relationships and strengthening safeguards around their research operations.

“These academic institutions that went above and beyond deserve immense credit for setting the benchmark in domestic research security,” Jewell said.

“Rather than settling for minimum compliance, these institutions took bold, self-initiated steps to protect their labs, faculty, and intellectual property from foreign exploitation,” he added.

Undersecretary of War for Research and Engineering Emil Michael also described the results as a major achievement in protecting American technological advantages.

“I am proud that the Department of War went 30-for-30 in working with these top-tier research universities to terminate relationships with malign foreign entities,” Michael said.

He warned that the department would continue scrutinizing university partnerships and that institutions failing to meet research-security standards could jeopardize their eligibility for federal funding.

“Our work will continue. Institutions that fail to meet research security standards are on notice: taxpayer dollars will not support institutions whose partnerships put the American warfighter or the Nation's technological advantage at risk,” Michael said.

The department’s review required universities to examine their exposure to sensitive or export-controlled research, assess potential risks from foreign partnerships, and terminate relationships considered problematic to remain eligible for future federal research funding. The universities were given an Aug. 31 deadline to submit their findings.

The review also examined connections to organizations associated with rebranded Confucius Institutes. These China-affiliated educational and cultural programs operated on American campuses beginning in 2004, but many closed during the early 2020s amid growing scrutiny of their connections to the Chinese Communist Party.

The department said it would continue updating its list of foreign entities of concern and evaluating universities that maintain relationships with listed organizations. Officials will also coordinate with the House and Senate Armed Services and Appropriations committees, along with the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party.

The results mark a significant step in the administration’s effort to make research security a condition of continued federal support. By requiring universities to examine foreign ties and eliminate relationships deemed risky, the department is seeking to reduce opportunities for adversaries to exploit American research institutions and gain access to strategically important technologies.